Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Hard to see deals making Browns better
Victim's daughter fights killer's parole
Woman accused of killing 6 of her newborns
Marine from Revere High critically wounded
City's workers being warned to go scentsless
Police: Man hit children at Walmart for thrill
Trades send Quinn, Wimbley packing
Teen accused of drinking, dancing topless in club
FirstEnergy finds cracks in Davis-Besse reactor head nozzles
Blogs:
Akron Docs in Haiti:
Almost home
First Bell - On Education:
Celebrate Pi Day on March 14
Pets:
PAWS Pet of the Week: Meet Thumper!
The Heldenfiles:
"Marcus Welby" on DVD
Akron Zips:
Akron accepts CBI bid, will host game Wednesday
Tribe Matters:
Minor deal in the works?
Cleveland Browns:
Browns management explains the thinking behind recent moves
Balanced Ledger:
How times have changed?
Kent State Sports:
Kent State to host Tulsa in NIT
Cleveland Cavaliers:
LeBron Makes NBA’s Top 10 Plays Twice
Buckeye Blogging:
Bucks High Seed – Turner High Praise
Varsity Letters:
Akron offers Brewton
All Da King's Men:
Social Security Scam Falling Apart
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Yeah, But…Matt Taibbi Uses Curse Words
Akron Law Café:
Can Corporations Be Shamed?
Car Chase:
2010 CONCOURS SEASON IS UPON US
Let's Talk Real Estate:
The Academy Awards!!!
Sound Check:
Songwriters Tribute wraps up 2010 Rock Hall Induction
See Jane Style:
Who Wore What – The Oscars
HRLite House:
Central IPMA Scholarship
Akron Gamer:
'Uncharted 2' nabs 5 trophies at video game awards
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Thursday, Nov 26, 2009
15-60-75, aka the Numbers Band, is a local music institution.
The band, which will celebrate 40 years in 2010, has outlasted countless bars and night clubs (many in which they have performed), musical trends and fads and are still outworking many bands half their age.
Friday night at the Kent Stage, the venerable band led by mainstays singer/songwriter/guitarist Bob Kidney, his brother Jack on harmonica and other instruments and saxophonist Terry Hynde along with the rhythm section of bassist Bill Watson and drummer Frank Casamento, will celebrate the release of its new CD The Inward City.
The CD is the band's first collection of new material since 1992's Hotwire and though primary songwriter Bob Kidney and his brother have written plenty of songs since the '90s, it took some financial and motivational assistance from old friend and longtime band champion David Thomas (leader of Cleveland's indie rock legends Pere Ubu) and John Thompson (who also did the CD artwork) to get the band back in the studio.
''They decided it was time for the Numbers Band to do another record and they were shooting for something definitive,'' Bob Kidney said. ''And I think in terms of where we are right now they accomplished that.''
The album, recorded at Suma Studios in Painesville and released on Thomas' Hearthan label, took about two years to complete. Producer Thomas worked on the tracks during his rare moments of downtime.
The disc is made up mostly of newer songs, but some of the disc's nine tracks are older tunes that should be familiar to the band's longtime fans, including a new recording of a slightly rearranged Nobody's John and Thunderhead both requested by Thomas.
Inward City finds the band, known for its dark blues and jazz-influenced sound, in fine form with some catchy tunes such as Jack Kidney's album opener Battery B and Bob's midtempo Thunderhead, either of which would settle nicely between the latest John Mayer and Norah Jones singles on 91.3 (WAPS-FM) The Summit. The tense, syncopated Tellsusourvision finds Kidney in his melodic monologist role, railing against the power of television (''turn the sucker off!'') and ''uptight people in casual clothes.''
The band also offers a slow-crawling take on Arthur ''Big Boy'' Crudup's Yonders Wall.
While many 20-somethings who start bands eventually put down their instruments and become ''uptight people in casual clothes'' the Kidney Brothers and Hynde have been in 15-60-75 for most of their adult lives, which Kidney says was the dream.
''That was my hope from the very beginning — to spend my life playing music, that's what I wanted to do and I was hoping that I would be able to sustain an audience,'' he said.
''I admire the longevity of so many of the country artists who spend their whole lives playing for people and making music and writing. I also admire that in jazz performers who for the most part spend their whole lives playing music.''
Kidney said the band plans to play much of the new album plus some old favorites during the CD release party, and it already has a few new songs to add to the set list. The band also is offering free admission to the party with purchase of The Inward City CD.
Kidney said he hopes it won't take another 18 years for the band to record. And he said, next year the band will celebrate its four decades with a lot of free shows aimed at thanking its loyal fans.
''It's kind of overwhelming,'' he said. ''It's a long time to do something like this locally.
''I'm surprised and kind of honored that people still come see us play,'' he continued. ''We want to thank people for 40 years worth of work.''
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
15-60-75, aka the Numbers Band, is a local music institution.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Canton, OH
Posted 08:41 PM, 11/28/2009
. ..sweet. . .
